Visita Iglesia #VisitaIglesia2018 Visiting at least seven different churches on Holy Thursday and Good Friday — is one of the most popular Holy Week panatas, or sacred vows, that Filipino Catholics make. The tradition apparently derives back from a 16th-century Roman Tradition led by St. Philip Neri. Some devotees walk barefoot from church to church. In a few cases they even carry a cross as a way to share of sufferings of Christ on the way to his crucifixion. Most do so by car, traveling with families and friends to visit churches further apart, even combining it, less penitentially, with sightseeing on the side, so long as that does not undermine the real intention of the trip. Even by car, the journey requires a great deal of planning, given the traffic, to be able visit seven churches before they close at midnight. The choice of seven or 14 as the number of churches to visit was described by many devotees as a reference to the Seven Last Words of Jesus or the Seven Holy Wounds of Jesus. Some choose to visit 14 churches to match the 14 Station of the Cross, and a few try to cover even more churches. Many believe that their prayers will be granted after the stations are complete. #visitaiglesia2018 #blesseddayeveryone
